Barriere creates bridge between cinema and theatre
The theme of theatre productions, which is not new in cinema but often makes the mistake of being overly dry and intellectual, nonetheless owes a few good examples to Shakespeare’s tragedies (from Looking For Richard to Danish title The King is Alive). In Barriere, presented at Berlin in the Panorama section, multiple award-winning director Andreas Kleinert cleverly avoids all the pitfalls of the "genre" and offers us a work which is not only artistic but also entertaining, judging by the peals of laughter from the audience.
It is hard to believe that this production had such a small budget – and therefore no commercial constraints, pointed out the director; in short no barriers – as its black-and-white images are so beautiful.
In the film, nine equally beautiful young actors full of enthusiasm go to a provincial town to audition (in a cinema outside screening times, then in the ruins of a church) for the roles of Hamlet, Ophelia and Horatio. While they set off, during their journey and arrival at the hotel, the director moves quickly from one to the other, so that the scenes which follow on from each other at a dynamic pace, highlighting the characters’ differences in background and temperament, as well as being superb, also act as funny and subtle sketches.
Over the course of the week, between rehearsals and moments spent together at the hotel, the group get to know each other and, through the game of rivalry, budding friendships and nascent desires, each character evolves, or rather (to repeat the Shakespearean idea that life is a stage) changes roles: the married father becomes an aggressive seducer; the serious-minded young Russian woman reveals an unscrupulous ambition and certain lewdness; and the most solitary character forms romantic ties...
At the end of the journey, all the characters are perfectly at one with the Shakespearean Bard’s text. All this is enhanced by some excellent and spontaneous lines (partly improvised) and the fresh presence of a young local fascinated by the troupe, who also captivate the audience.
(Translated from French)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
